Colombo’s military establishment steps up psyop war on Eezham Tamils

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 January 2013, 23:32 GMT]The Sri Lankan “Terrorist” Investigation Department (SL-TID), which had summoned Mr Sivagnanam Sritharan, the Tamil parliamentarian from Ki’linochchi, to Colombo Police Headquarters in June 2012 to grill him on his interviews published in diaspora and Tamil Nadu media, was first looking to frame the parliamentarian as someone who had violated the 6th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution. Three months later, the police bodyguards provided to him from the Ministerial Security Division were withdrawn by Colombo without any explanation. On Saturday, the SL-TID entered the office of Mr Sritharan alleging that they had information on explosives. Later, they “discovered” 300 grams explosives inside the kitchen allegedly after “planting” the evidence. Two of the TNA activists, working at Sritharan MPs office, were subjected to interrogations.

The TNA parliamentarian has categorically denied the allegations that have been framed against his key activists.

Mr Sritharan, standing on a democratic platform, has been raising his voice against the SL military oppression, despite the threats and harassments against him.

On December 12, 2002, a number of Tamil girls, who had been coerced to join the SL military’s ‘civil positions’ and later conscripted to military training, were admitted at Ki’linochchi hospital in mentally affected state.

The TNA MP was giving interviews exposing the nature of the conscription and the health condition of the victims.

Later, when Medical Officer Shivashankar was detained by the SL military for having voiced for the rights of a girl who was taken away from the family after a leave to sit for GCE O/L exams, the parliamentarian voiced against the behaviour of the SL military.

On Friday, a former LTTE member, identified as Vasanthan, was arrested in Kurunakar in Jaffna for the possession of explosives, allegedly for dynamite fishing.

The SL-TID was twisting the context.

Further, Mr Vasanthan has not been working with the TNA parliamentarian after the election campaign, according to Mr. Sritharan.

On Saturday, the TID operatives stormed the office of the parliamentarian without securing permission in advance from the SL Parliament Speaker, violating the protocol of the SL parliament, and “discovered” 300 grams of explosives, allegedly after planting it inside the office.

The TID has detained 38-year-old Arunachalam Velamaalithan, who was at the office of Mr Sritharan. The Administrative Secretary, 36-year-old Ponnambalam Ladchumykanthan was released after interrogation inside the office.

In the meantime, the SL-TID is waging a psyop war stating that there were explosives, pornographic material and condoms. The TID has also seized two laptop computers.